Pastor Baldwin, at the Christian site "NewswithViews.com," is casting Mike Huckabee as a bogeyman. (Chuck Baldwin -- "Christians Need To Beware Of Mike Huckabee") As the old political adage goes, it is a good sign when your competition starts aiming for you (or however that old political adage goes); so Huckabee's people can take some comfort at hit pieces like this one. But there is another positive aspect of this op/ed.
Among other damning quotes marshaled in the article is one from Phyllis Schlafly, a pillar of the Social Conservative movement. Chuck Baldwin writes:
"President and Founder of Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly, said this about Governor Huckabee: 'He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles.' She went on to say, 'Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a 'compassionate conservative' are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee.'"Guilt by association (especially when the principal "guilty" party has acquitted himself ably in many respects to Religious Conservatives) is specious; however, upon reading the quote, I had a question for Schlafly: "Which candidate are the other evangelicals (who sold you on Dubya but are not trying to sell you on Huckabee) trying to sell you on this go 'round?"
And that's the real issue or challenge we face: How do you pick a presidential candidate from among a host of candidates--none of whom are Jesus? (You non-believers can substitute whomever--I won't speculate who, you believe to be the ideal person for "Jesus").
No, I'm not saying that Mike Huckabee is Jesus. But the truth is that every candidate has strengths and weaknesses, and there are a host of political issues about which there is no definitive Christian or Biblical position. Indeed, I would submit that even Jesus (if He were running as a sort of heavenly Manchurian Candidate and we didn't know He was God in the Flesh) would somehow rub each of us the wrong way . . .
hat-tip: Miguel Diocuore.
Cross-posted at WisdomisVindicated.
3 comments:
Since you linked it, you must have read Baldwin's article. It was outrageous. I sent this message to his email address at, 'chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com'
"Some years ago, I was alerted to you as a conservative on the World Wide Web, and watched your words for a few years. I am an ardent Mike Huckabee supporter who had read part of your article, “Christians Should Beware of Mike Huckabee,” yesterday, but was referred back to it today, by a blogger who asked, “Would Chuck Baldwin Vote for Jesus?”
I’m not inclined to think that you are involved in deception, nor in intentional damage to America. But except for those who will be more provoked to support him or even investigate for themselves due to your derision, I’m certain that such damage is all that can come from your article, unwitting though it may be. By my lights, I would consider myself more conservative than you are. I pray that the force of my action is more Christian than the force of this letter.
I saw yesterday that the tone of the article was unfortunate, to say the least. But, as I progressed through it, it only got worse, having begun with misinterpretations and progressed through misrepresentations, culminating finally in outright and outrageous falsehoods. I expect that this was unintentional, but it is unfortunate nevertheless. I could hope to have even a platform such as yours to speak my convictions from. But God help me that I should never promulgate such misguided and detrimental garbage from it.
Plainly, conservative Christians need to put their minds and actions to distinguishing wise principle from constricted animus. That’s what Jesus did perfectly. And, that’s the model that Mike Huckabee is trying to emulate. Check into that model and with that in mind, check into Huckabee’s real record, beyond the reports of some knee-jerk reactions."
It is an unfortunate thing for both Christians and for this nation that Christians flock so readily to Governor Huckabee without actually examining his fruits. Then they react vehemently against any criticism because they want to believe he is some sort of God-send. His record is clear, and he is no conservative. He uses appeals to emotions, and even uses God as a tool to gain audience approval (an example is his "Phone call from God fiasco). Please, be wise and beware. By the way, I am a Christian, and because of that fact and my respect for the laws upon which this nation was founded, I cannot support Mike Huckabee.
Who are you "flocking to," Jeff? Frankly, I resent your implication that I haven't considered his record, haven't researched "the facts," don't respect the laws of our country, or would support a candidate based on emotion. And I haven't "vehemently" done anything, in my estimation.
Then again, maybe you just cut and pasted this commented from some other blog post?
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